Genotype - Environment Interaction in Zea mays L.

Abstract

In order to study the effect of plant density on the genetic behavior of the growth and yield of ten genotypes of different origins of yellow corn, this study was conducted during the spring growing season / 2022, in two different locations. The first site is (Mosul site) in the field of agricultural research / College of Agriculture and Forestry / the tourist forest area. The second site is (Bashiqa site) in one of the private agricultural fields of Bashiqa district within the randomized complete block design (R.C.B.D.) with three replications. The results of the genetic environmental aggregate variance analysis of the two study sites indicate that the mean squares of the environments and genotypes were significant for all studied traits at the probability level of 1%. While the overlap of genotypes × environments was significant at a level of probability of 5% for the dates of male and female flowering and plant height, and at a level of probability of 1% for the rest of the other traits except for the number of pips per plant, in which the differences did not reach the limit of significance. Plants cultivated in environment 3 were characterized by the highest grain yield per single plant amounting to 598.940 gm, compared to the highest total grain yield amounting to 31.466 tons.ha−1 of plants grown under environment conditions 1. The broad sense heritability values were high for both male and female flowering dates 0.624 and 0.644. respectively. The expected genetic i advance as a percentage of the average trait was an average value for the traits of total ear weight, number of grains per ear, individual plant grain yield, and total grain yield.